Kate Middleton Returns to Wimbledon After ‘Rollercoaster’ Recovery Reveal

Kate Middleton is back at one of her favorite summer outings: Wimbledon.

On Saturday, July 12, the Princess of Wales, 43, stepped out at the prestigious tournament for the first time this season to see American tennis star Amanda Anisimova and Poland’s Iga Swiatek compete in the women’s singles final. She’ll later present the champion with their trophy.

Kate, who took her seat in the royal box at Centre Court, continued her recent streak of tailored elegance in a white belted blazer-style top and cream pleated skirt — a silhouette she also embraced earlier this week during the French state visit. As patron, Kate also wore a Wimbledon purple and green bow pinned to the left side of her top.

That outing comes shortly after her emotional revelations about the difficulty of finding her new normal following cancer treatment.

On July 2, Princess Kate visited Colchester Hospital in Essex, where she spoke candidly about her cancer journey.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ ” she said. “But actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”

“You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it’s a rollercoaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” Kate added. “But the reality is you go through hard times.”

Upon her arrival, Kate first congratulated women’s wheelchair tennis champion Wang Ziying shortly after her straight-sets victory. She then spoke with eight-year-old Lydia Lowe, who represented the Dan Maskell Trust and performed the coin toss for the wheelchair final.

Kate also met 12-year-old Sophie Kneen, set to do the coin toss for the women’s final, along with ball boys, ball girls and honorary stewards. Crossing the bridge, she smiled and waved to hundreds of waiting fans.

Guided by All England Club chairwoman Debbie Jevans, a former pro, Kate greeted the welcoming party and briefly chatted about their tournament experiences. She also met young people from the Work at Wimbledon program and representatives from the Wimbledon Foundation.

Kate has regularly attended Wimbledon over the years, even before Queen Elizabeth appointed her as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 2016. She has watched the tournament in person every year since she married Prince William in 2011, apart from the 2013 matches, which took place when she was “heavily pregnant” with Prince George and doctors advised against her attending, and when Wimbledon was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Princess Kate’s return to Wimbledon comes after she attended the men’s singles finals in July 2024, marking one of her few appearances of the year as she mainly remained out of the spotlight amid her cancer treatment. She announced in September 2024 that she had completed chemotherapy, adding a few months later in January that she was in remission.

On July 14, 2024, the royal received a standing ovation as she made her way to her seat in the front row of the Royal Box at Centre Court, joined by her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and sister, Pippa.

After the match, Princess Kate headed down to the court and presented Carlos Alcaraz with the winning trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic.

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The hospital visit earlier this month marked her first public outing since her surprise withdrawal from Royal Ascot on June 18. The Princess of Wales was said to be disappointed with not being able to attend Ascot this year but is determined to find the right balance as she returns back to public work amid her continued recovery.